Maura McKenzie

Internship Portfolio
2014-2015

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
Narrative Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
Cover Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7
Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8
Letter of Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10
Thank You Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11
Self Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14
Supervisor's Final Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15
Photographic Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16

Introduction

My internship this semester took place at Independence Elementary located at 6850

Hubbard Road in Clarkston, Michigan. Overall I was supervised by Mr. Chris Turner, but I
worked in two fourth grade classrooms on a daily basis and was supervised in those classrooms
by Mrs. Jessica Sorensen and Mrs. Jenny Warner. I chose to intern at Independence Elementary
because I thoroughly enjoy working with children and I thought that I could put forth the most
work and supply the most help possible in a classroom, especially at the end of the school year.
My job title was classroom or teacher assistant. When I began this internship, I hoped to learn
techniques to deal with difficult situations with children and to help the teachers whenever they
needed it. I started my internship at Independence Elementary on May 4th and finished on June
2nd. At the beginning of my internship, I worked about three hours a day, but during the third
week, my third hour class ended, so I began working about four to six hours a day. By the end of
my five week internship I accumulated 73 hours and 25 minutes of work time.

Narrative Report

My first day of internship, I walked into the school not knowing what I would be doing
for the next five weeks, I talked to Mr. Turner and he had asked some teachers if they would be
willing to let me in their classroom, my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Sorensen, and her teaching
partner, Mrs. Warner, were first to agree to let me be their classroom aid. My first day in their
classes I graded some papers, helped kids dissect owl pellets, and helped to wrap mothers day
gifts.
The language used at my internship was the same as I remember from fourth grade,
although I did need to refresh on some of the terms like mixed fraction.
Personally, I benefitted most in helping the children learn, I loved being able to help them
with math and push them to answer a question correctly. I also think I benefitted from the
interaction and personal connection I had with the children, being able to see them for an
extended amount of time everyday was phenomenal. Professionally, I benefitted from the
experience as well as learning to expect or just go with the unexpected. Due to dealing and
communicating with both children and adults, this internship will look great on job and college
applications as well as for internships in the future.
The biggest challenges I faced during my internship included working with an autistic
boy in Mrs. Warners class and keeping the class quiet. The little boy in Mrs. Warners class did
have a parapro, but she was not always with him, and the majority of the adults had some trouble
getting him to stay seated and finish his work when he was supposed to. I sat with him during
quiet times to try and keep him paying attention and silent(at least as quiet as he could get). I also
had trouble keeping the class quiet when one teacher would step into the other room. I found that
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I had to make myself more assertive and have them understand that I was an adult to them and
that I wouldnt let them continue to talk during tests and independent work time.
Everyday I worked as hard as could to do whatever the teachers asked of me. My goal
was to be as useful as possible and I think I succeeded. The teachers had a lot of work to do,
especially since it was the end of the year. I took on several jobs that would have taken the
teachers or students a much longer time themselves than if I did them, particularly tie dye and
month-to-month mes. Along with my day to day tasks I would also ask if they needed anything
else and made sure that I was always doing something.
My supervisors normally would teach me how to do something and then let me do the
work they had given me on my own. They were constantly around if I ever had a question or
concern and helped me when it was needed.
I wish I had known how to deal with affectionate children before I walked into the
classroom. I did not know what was considered acceptable and how to deal with hugs from kids.
I also wish I would have known the best way to quiet the class, or one child, down. I did learn
what was acceptable and how to get the class quiet by the end of my internship though.
I was exposed to training for the copy and binding machines at the elementary school.
My training for the copy machine consisted of my own trial and error as well as a worker in the
copy room at Independence teaching me a few little things. Mrs. Warner taught me how to use
the binding machine, which required me to be very meticulous.
My expectations were met and more in this internship. I thought at the beginning that I
would not be with one specific class and that I wasnt going to be working with children very
often, but I ended up spending the entire five weeks in the same two classrooms and working
with the fourth graders one on one or as a whole for at least an hour everyday that I was there.

My days at Independence did not follow much of a routine except having to sign in at the
front office everyday when I got there. Everyday I would walk into either classroom and Mrs.
Sorensen or Mrs. Warner would either have something already ready for me to do or would think
of something on the spot that I could do. Normally I would do tasks that would take about an
hour to do and end up doing about three or four jobs a day.
When I was little, I had always wanted to be a teacher, but in middle school I lost sense
of that dream. This internship made me think more about being a teacher, even if just as a backup. I think that I could be a good elementary teacher and multiple fourth graders had told me
You should be a teacher!.

Technology

In the two fourth grade classrooms I worked in, technology was not used very often
because the schools computers were so out of date. I did spend some time using the copy

machine though. I learned how to change different elements of the copy machine like density and
page order. I also worked with the binding machine, which doesn't really have technology, but it
is very meticulous. I think it would be very possible for the fourth grade classes to use a smart
board, if the computers were more up to date. There were many times that if the classroom had a
smartboard, I think the students would be able to explain their work and present it to the class in
a better way, especially with math. When the students were working with fraction tiles, Mrs.
Sorensen had to draw them, with a smart board she would be able to use a website and move
them together. I also think that iPads could be a reasonable option for the classroom. Instead of
having all of the physical cards and blocks that are in the classroom, the teachers could just get
apps on iPads that might be easier to use and there would not be the opportunity to lose pieces.
The majority of both fourth grade classes was very unorganized, with iPads the children
wouldnt need as much paper and would have an organized system for all of their work, which
would also keep the classroom cleaner because there wouldnt be paper all over the place.
Although there are drawbacks with the iPads, I think that the majority of fourth graders would
get extremely distracted if they had iPads in their classrooms everyday, especially with all of the
games that they would be able to get as apps for their iPad. Another drawback is that they are so
expensive and the school system cannot afford iPads for all of the children in the district.

Maura McKenzie
7949 Brookwood Dr.
Clarkston, Michigan 48348
248-534-5583
mcmckenzie16@clarkston.k12.mi.us
June 4th, 2015
6850 Hubbard Road
Clarkston, Michigan 48348
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Dear Mrs. Sorensen and Mrs. Warner,

My name is Maura McKenzie and I would love to be able to intern in your classroom. I am in the
Clarkston Science, Math, and Technology Academy at Clarkston High School and we have a
tech block the last five weeks of school which allows me to have an internship the second half of
the school day. I would like to intern in your classroom because I think that working with
children is an extremely important learning experience. I have been interested in teaching for my
entire life. I think that the education of the next generation is the most important in the world and
I want to be a part of changing lives for the future. With your help, I will have a better idea of
what an elementary teacher really does and what I need to learn outside of the necessary
education to be a teacher. I especially want the opportunity to work in your classrooms because
fourth grade is an almost intermediate year, and I think I will be able to understand the variation
in ages and maturity.
If you let me intern with you, I promise to do my very best and work as hard as possible
everyday to help you in your classrooms. I am an efficient worker and hate to sit around, so I will
constantly be looking for work to do and ways to help you. I will do the utmost possible to make
your day a little easier.
Sincerely,

Maura McKenzie

Maura McKenzie
7949 Brookwood Dr.
Clarkston, MI 48348
Mobile 248-534-3831
mcmckenzie16@clarkston.k12.mi.us

SUMMARY

EDUCATION

I participated in the Clarkston Math, Science, and Technology

Clarkston High School

Academy for my four years in high school. I am also a certificate

Clarkston, Michigan

International Baccalaureate student, participating in the IB

2012-2016

language arts class my junior and senior year and have taken
spanish for three years. I am interested in the medical field and
plan on going to college for a medical degree.

SKILLS
EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTEER WORK
Girl Scout, Girls Scouts of America
Clarkston, Michigan 2003-2012
Accomplishments

Graduated Girl Scout Daisy

Graduated Girl Scout Brownie
Graduated Girl Scout Junior
Graduated Girl Scout Cadette
Bronze Award

mathemati

open-

cs
mindedness
organized
public
speaking
accepting
criticism
working
with children

Volunteer, Pleasant Ridge Day Camp

Clarkston, Michigan summer 2009-2011

Program Assistant
summer 2009-2011

REFERENCES
Available upon request.

Junior Leader
summer 2010-2011

Volunteer, Catholic Heart Work Camp

Nashville, Tennessee summer 2012

Volunteer, Catholic Heart Work Camp

Cincinnati, Ohio summer 2013

Volunteer, Catholic Heart Work Camp

Milwaukee, Wisconsin summer 2014

Usher, Saint Daniels Catholic Community

Clarkston, Michigan 2013-

Eucharistic Minister, Saint Daniels Catholic

Community
Clarkston, Michigan 2013-

Volunteer Counselor in Training, Camp Kanuga

Leadership Academy
Hendersonville, North Carolina summer 2014
Accomplishments

Counselor of 8 to 12 year old girls

Completed counselor training

Hostess, Andiamo Trattoria of Clarkston

Clarkston, Michigan 2014-

Youth Leadership Member, Saint Daniels Catholic

Community
Clarkston, Michigan 2014-

Parish Council Member, Saint Daniels Catholic

Community
Clarkston, Michigan 2014-

Intern/Classroom Aide, Independence Elementary

Clarkston, Michigan spring 2015

Letter of Recommendation

June 3rd, 2015

Mrs. Jessica Sorensen

Independence Elementary
6850 Hubbard Road
Clarkston, MI 48348
Dear Mrs. Sorensen,

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Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to intern with you! I had a great time in your
classroom and will remember the experience for the rest of my life. Working with you I feel that
I got the best possible experience in an elementary classroom.
I loved working with all of the fourth graders, and even though they were troubling at times, they
were amazing and you have done an amazing job as their teacher. I will never forget tie-dying
the 60 shirts and working on the month-to-month mes. I learned so much from your teaching
style and if I go into teaching, I hope to use the same techniques in my classroom. I learned how
much listening to a story can change a student's day and that just a smile from you can make
them smile as well.
This experience was one of the most important in my life, the knowledge I gained while working
in your classroom will stick with me for my lifetime. I cannot thank you enough for allowing me
to spend the last five weeks in your classroom!
Sincerely,

Maura McKenzie

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June 3rd, 2015

Mr. Chris Turner

Independence Elementary
6850 Hubbard Road
Clarkston, MI 48348
Dear Mr. Turner,
I want to thank you for allowing me to be an intern at your school! I had such a wonderful time
working in Mrs. Sorensen and Mrs. Warners classrooms and will always remember the
experience.
I have always thought about teaching as a profession, but lately it has been more of a secondary
option and this internship has made it one of my top professions once again. I loved being able to
work with the fourth graders on a daily basis and learned so much from them as well as Mrs.
Sorensen and Mrs. Warner. The knowledge I gained from this experience will be used for the rest
of my life and i am eternally grateful.
I appreciate this opportunity so much and I learned a plethora of techniques that I could use in
my own classroom if I am ever a teacher. You do such a good job running Independence and it
was a pleasure to spend time there every day.
Sincerely,

Maura McKenzie

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June 3rd, 2015

Mrs. Jenny Warner

Independence Elementary
6850 Hubbard Road
Clarkston, MI 48348
Dear Mrs. Warner,
I wanted to thank you for letting me intern in your classroom. I had such a wonderful time the
past five weeks and will never forget this opportunity. You are such a great teacher and if I do go
into teaching I hope to run my classroom in a similar way to you.
Spending everyday in your classroom was so interesting and I was constantly paying attention to
how you dealt with situations. I loved all of the children in your class, even the sometimes
obnoxious ones. I loved being able to edit essays in your class and helping them grow i their
learning. You and Mrs. Sorensen do a great job working together and I hope to have the
relationship that you have someday with one of my own co-workers.
Again, thank you so much! I infinitely appreciate this opportunity and could not have asked for a
better internship. I loved stepping into your classroom everyday and will never forget my days at
Independence!
Sincerely,

Maura McKenzie

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Self Evaluation

Supervisors Final Evaluation

Photographic Documentation

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Crayfish Bulletin Board I created

Mrs. Sorensen at the DIA

Fourth graders touching the donkey at the DIA
(This is the only piece of art you can touch)

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